What is the measure of a healthy ecosystem?Do you know what an ecosystem is? Examples of ecosystems include coral reefs, deserts, old-growth forests, temperate rainforests, and grasslands. In a balanced and healthy ecosystem, there is a wide range of species present. The measure of the health of an ecosystem is its biological diversity, or biodiversity. There are three levels of biodiversity: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

Humans' Effect on Ecosystems
Within each ecosystem there is a web of connections among the various species of plants, animals, and microorganisms and between the organisms and their environment. The relationships within and between ecosystems form the "web of life". When an ecosystem is healthy, there is a balance between the inhabitants and the resources available to them. The balance between inhabitants and resources ensure their survival. When we, as humans, disturb or remove one part of that balanced ecosystem, it could affect the functioning of other parts of the ecosystem. This leads to the decline of the ecosystem. Eventually, one or more species may become endangered or extinct.

How can you help prevent the destruction of habitats and preserve biodiversity? As the world's population increases, humans are encroaching upon wilderness areas and destroying habitats at an alarming rate. As a result, we are reducing biodiversity, causing the extinction of many plants and animals, and ultimately threatening our own survival. We must support conservation efforts. Conservation is the careful management of a natural resource or a species to prevent exploitation, neglect, and/or destruction. Conservationists protect an endangered area by limiting or defining use of an area by people, or by working with people who depend on these vulnerable areas for their livelihood and teaching them about sustainable practice and ecotoursim.

Click onto EcologyFund to preserve wilderness areas, habitats, and biodiversity!
EcologyFund is a click-to-donate site that raises money for non-profit conservation organizations that help local people and organizations purchase, manage, and protect land and habitats. You can learn more about each organization's conservation work by clicking onto the information section for each project. If you click to preserve wilderness areas and habitats, you help prevent ecosystems from becoming unhealthy. Healthy ecosystems are good for our environment. Besides being places of beauty, they help regulate the earth's temperature, ensure clean air and water, and provide habitats for native peoples and millions of species of animals and plants.

Now that you understand why it is important to preserve wilderness land and healthy ecosystems, let's get to work!